Version : 24/02/2010

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General Certificate of Secondary Education

Physics 4451

PHY3F Unit Physics 3

Mark Scheme
2010 examination - January series
Mark schemes are prepared by the Principal Examiner and considered, together with the
relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any
amendments made at the standardisation meeting attended by all examiners and is the scheme
which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation meeting ensures that the
mark scheme covers the candidates’ responses to questions and that every examiner
understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for the standardisation
meeting each examiner analyses a number of candidates’ scripts: alternative answers not
already covered by the mark scheme are discussed at the meeting and legislated for. If, after
this meeting, examiners encounter unusual answers which have not been discussed at the
meeting they are required to refer these to the Principal Examiner.

It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further
developed and expanded on the basis of candidates’ reactions to a particular paper.
Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be
avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change,
depending on the content of a particular examination paper.

Further copies of this Mark Scheme are available to download from the AQA Website: www.aqa.org.uk

Copyright © 2010. AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

MARK SCHEME

Information to Examiners

1. General
The mark scheme for each question shows:
• the marks available for each part of the question
• the total marks available for the question
• the typical answer or answers which are expected
• extra information to help the Examiner make his or her judgement and help to
delineate what is acceptable or not worthy of credit or, in discursive answers, to give
an overview of the area in which a mark or marks may be awarded.
The extra information is aligned to the appropriate answer in the left-hand part of the
mark scheme and should only be applied to that item in the mark scheme.
At the beginning of a part of a question a reminder may be given, for example:
where consequential marking needs to be considered in a calculation;
or the answer may be on the diagram or at a different place on the script.
In general the right hand side of the mark scheme is there to provide those extra details
which confuse the main part of the mark scheme yet may be helpful in ensuring that
marking is straightforward and consistent.

2. Emboldening
2.1 In a list of acceptable answers where more than one mark is available ‘any two
from’ is used, with the number of marks emboldened. Each of the following lines
is a potential mark.
2.2 A bold and is used to indicate that both parts of the answer are required to award
the mark.
2.3 Alternative answers acceptable for a mark are indicated by the use of or.
(Different terms in the mark scheme are shown by a / ; eg allow smooth / free
movement.)

3. Marking points
3.1 Marking of lists
This applies to questions requiring a set number of responses, but for which
candidates have provided extra responses. The general principle to be followed
in such a situation is that ‘right + wrong = wrong’.
Each error/contradiction negates each correct response. So, if the number of
error/contradictions equals or exceeds the number of marks available for the
question, no marks can be awarded.
However, responses considered to be neutral (indicated as * in example 1) are
not penalised.

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

Example 1: What is the pH of an acidic solution? (1 mark)

Candidate Response Marks

awarded
1 4,8 0
2 green, 5 0
3 red*, 5 1
4 red*, 8 0

Example 2: Name two planets in the solar system. (2 marks)

Candidate Response Marks awarded

1 Pluto, Mars, Moon 1
2 Pluto, Sun, Mars, 0
Moon

3.2 Use of chemical symbols / formulae

If a candidate writes a chemical symbol / formula instead of a required chemical
name, full credit can be given if the symbol / formula is correct and if, in the
context of the question, such action is appropriate.
3.3 Marking procedure for calculations
Full marks can be given for a correct numerical answer, as shown in the column
‘answers’, without any working shown.
However if the answer is incorrect, mark(s) can be gained by correct
substitution / working and this is shown in the ‘extra information’ column;
3.4 Interpretation of ‘it’
Answers using the word ‘it’ should be given credit only if it is clear that the ‘it’
refers to the correct subject.
3.5 Errors carried forward
Any error in the answers to a structured question should be penalised once only.
Papers should be constructed in such a way that the number of times errors can
be carried forward are kept to a minimum. Allowances for errors carried forward
are most likely to be restricted to calculation questions and should be shown by
the abbreviation e.c.f. in the marking scheme.
3.6 Phonetic spelling
The phonetic spelling of correct scientific terminology should be credited unless
there is a possible confusion with another technical term.
3.7 Brackets
(…..) are used to indicate information which is not essential for the mark to be
awarded but is included to help the examiner identify the sense of the answer
required.

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 1

question answers extra information mark

1(a)(i) plane accept any unambiguous indication 1

1(a)(ii) normal 1

1(a)(iii) incidence accept any unambiguous indication 1

1(a)(iv) be doubled accept any unambiguous indication 1

1(b)(i) diverging accept any unambiguous indication 1

1(b)(ii) B continues in a straight line (1) accept any reasonable freehand 2

attempt by eye
A refracted upwards and C refracted
ignore what happens in the lens
downwards (1)
example

Total 7

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 2

question answers extra information mark

2(a) centre of X 1
example
on the plumb line
and
between the level of the captions
‘plastic sheet’ and ‘hole B’

2(b) centre of mass accept any unambiguous indication 1

2(c) vertical accept any unambiguous indication 1

Total 3

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 3

question answers extra information mark

3(a)(i) greater than accept any unambiguous indication 1

3(a)(ii) less than accept any unambiguous indication 1

3(a)(iii) centripetal accept any unambiguous indication 1

3(a)(iv) 24 hours accept any unambiguous indication 1

3(b)(i) geostationary (orbit) 1

3(b)(ii) low polar (orbit) do not accept just ‘polar (orbit)’ 1

Total 6

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 4

question answers extra information mark

4(a)(i) bat(s) 1

4(a)(ii) elephant(s) 1

4(a)(iii) any example in the inclusive range appropriate number and unit both 1
5 ↔ 29 Hz / hertz required

4(b)(i) B 1

4(b)(ii) F 1

Total 5

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 5

question answers extra information mark

5(a)(i) gravitational accept any unambiguous indication 1

5(a)(ii) joining accept any unambiguous indication 1

5(a)(iii) stable accept any unambiguous indication 1

5(b)(i) collection of billions of stars do not credit just ‘millions of stars’ 1

ignore reference to planets, moons etc

5(b)(ii) Milky Way allow ‘milky way’ and other minor 1

misspellings

Total 5

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 6

question answers extra information mark

6(a) centre of the X midway between intention correct as judged by eye 1

the poles
example

6(b) move the poles further apart accept turn for move 1

accept ends / magnets for poles

accept use weaker magnets

do not accept use smaller magnets

6(c)(i) add more cells (to the battery) do not accept ‘use a bigger battery’ 1

accept increase the potential difference

/ voltage

or accept increase the current

reduce the resistance
(of the variable resistor) do not accept any changes to the
magnets, to the wire or to their relative
positions

Question 6 continues on the next page . . .

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 6 continued . . .

question answers extra information mark

6(c)(ii) reverse (the polarity of) the battery accept turn the battery / cells round 1

accept swap the connections to the

battery

do not accept any changes to the

magnets, to the wire or to their relative
positions

Total 4

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 7

question answers extra information mark

7(a) distance (from the Sun in millions both required in either order 1
of km)

and time taken for orbit not just ‘time taken’

7(b)(i) either 1
distance (from the Sun in millions
of km)
or
time taken for orbit

(and) (average) temperature not just ‘time taken’

both required in either order

7(b)(ii) (+) 430 / (+) 470 1

or

Mercury / Venus

7(c) 25 (hours) do not accept 24 (hours) 1

7(d) ...different positions at different 1

times

7(e) …direction…speed both and in the correct order 1

gravitational 1

Total 7

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 8

question answers extra information mark

8(a)(i) answer in the range 3.0 ↔ 3.1 2

inclusive
accept for 1
3.6 ÷ 1.2 or 3.7÷1.2
or 36 ÷ 12 or 37÷12
or 18 ÷ 6 or 18.5 ÷ 6
or 10.2 ÷ 3.4 or 102 ÷ 34
or answer in the range but with a unit
eg 3 cm

8(a)(ii) (principal) focus / focal (point(s)) / accept ‘focusses’ 1

foci / focus accept focals
do not accept focal length

8(a)(iii) at the intersection of virtual / or ‘where virtual / imaginary rays 1

imaginary rays cross’

or the rays of (real) light do not cross

or the image on the same side (of the

lens) as the object

or the image is drawn as a dotted line

or the image is upright

do not accept ‘cannot be put on a

screen’

do not accept any response which

refers to reflected rays

Question 8 continues on the next page . . .

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 Physics PHY3F - AQA GCSE Mark Scheme 2010 January Series

PHY3F

Question 8 continued . . .

question answers extra information mark

8(b)(i) another correct observation about example 2

relationship between values of d (1)
15 is three times bigger than 5 but
(but) not the same relationship 2.0 is not three times bigger than 1.2
between corresponding values for
magnification (1)

8(b)(ii) when the distance / d increases the or the converse 1

magnification increases
accept ‘there is a (strong) positive
correlation’
do not accept any response in terms of
proportion / inverse proportion

8(b)(iii) (student has) no evidence accept data / results / facts for 1

(outside this range) ‘evidence’

Total 8

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